Monday, 17 May 2010

The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7)

apple imac 27-inchDesktop computers have been forced to change their faces in order to not be considered obsolete. They are constantly being outdone by the convenience and speed of laptops, notebooks, and netbooks. The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is a fantastic example of an multimedia, all-in-one desktop computer. In many ways, it resembles its predecessor, the Apple iMac that featured a Core 2 Duo processor, except this iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is much faster.

The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is designed very much like the rest of the iMac line from Apple. It features brushed aluminum which surrounds a black glass frame. Also included is a sturdy metal arm, that tilts in a variety of different directions and angles, that suspends the screen over your desk for a sophisticated look. The back of the iMac is described as “clean.” Helping this “clean” look is the fact that the iMac 27-inch (Core i7) comes standard with a wireless keyboard and mouse. The MagicMouse that is included with this desktop has a multi-touch surface that allows for clicking and swiping. The back panel of the computer has audio in/out jacks, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, the Mini Display Port (in/out), and a Gigabit Ethernet port.

The iMac 27-inch (Core i7) features a vibrantly lit screen with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. This allows for easy spreadsheet editing and presentation of projects. You can also simply plug in an external monitor to give you more screen space. This can be done by utilizing the Mini DisplayPort to hook up another monitor or device.

On the side of the iMac there is a slot-loading DVD player/burner. Unfortunately for some reason, Apple does not allow for the option of Blu-ray. This was one of the very few disappointments to be found with the iMac 27-inch (Core i7).

Included with your iMac is the iLife suite that is comprised of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iTunes. These are some great programs that allow for immense creativity. The system comes standard with 4GB of DDR3 memory and can hold up to 16GB. To replace the hard drive it is necessary to take apart the iMac, so external expansion is the best way to go.

The iMac 27-inch (Core i7) runs on an Intel Core i7-860 processor with 2.8GHz that can be boosted up to 3.46GHz when it is necessary to provide more computing power. The Core i7 processor also supports HyperThreading which allows you to compute eight streams of data at once. This is a great computer for multimedia purposes. This iMac is also great for gaming. It features ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics that allows for smooth gameplay.

The Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is an extremely powerful multimedia desktop computer. It is fast, sleek, up-to-date, and feature-filled. The only possible drawback for most people would be the price tag. It is listed at $2,199 direct from Apple. That may seem like a lot to put out for a desktop computer, but for those that have the cash for such a purchase, they will be getting everything they could ever want from the iMac.
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Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Finally! Stream iTunes Online

Finally! Stream iTunes OnlineRumors about an online version of iTunes have been rampant since mid to late 2009, but now it looks like there's a little truth to the idea...maybe. Apple will be launching an online music service that will allow users to listen to music streamed over the internet. Experts say the new application could become a major threat for music websites such as Spotify, a service that allows users access to millions of songs through a paid subscription.

Each iTunes user will have access to a "digital locker," which allows them to store music they've purchased through the iTunes store. If you'd like to access your locker, you simply go to the website (the New York Times says it will probably be iTunes.com), log in, and voila! Your music is there, waiting to be listened to on any computer.

With the current version of iTunes, music can only be stored on your computer or your iPod, which rules out listening to it on the go in some cases.

Last year, Apple bought Lala.com and last month, they closed it down. This led many to believe the web version of iTunes is coming. Lala's Software allows users to store music libraries online and play them through any browser on any computer. It's most likely that these guys will be working on the new web-based version of iTunes.

The New York Times spoke with an unnamed record label executive who said Apple had announced plans to create a cloud-based service just weeks before it purchased Lala. Others wondered if Amazon or Google would beat Apple to creating such a service.

Personally, I'm not sure I would use this service very often. I'm a big iTunes fan, but I'm never in a position where I would want to access my music on another computer. If I'm traveling with intentions to work, I generally take my laptop and/or iPod along if I plan to listen to music. If I'm on another computer, other than my laptop, I am most likely in a place where playing music wouldn't be a great idea, though I suppose you can always wear headphones. On the plus side, I can see where it would be handy if you own multiple computers. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Apple comes up with.



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Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

Keeping Your Child Safe OnlineKids are getting online more than ever these days, especially those who are into social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. I've seen kids as young as six or seven years old with Facebook accounts. While these websites can be fun, they can also be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands and as a parent, it's your duty to make sure your child know the risks and how to protect themselves from harm's way.

Kids love to get online and are often more knowledgeable than their parents and teachers. That's why it's important that parents and teachers should take steps to learn about what's happening online and what their kids are involved with. Kids left to their own devices could end up in a number of troublesome situations, from dealing with a cyber-bully or a schoolmate with ill intent, to facing child predators or even con artists.

Communication is important. Talk to your kids about what they're doing online and remind them of the danger they could face and what to be on the lookout for. But there are other things to do to keep your kids safe.

1. Take advantage of parental controls. Children don't want their parents watching every move they make but many websites offers ways for parents to monitor or control their children's online activity while respecting their privacy. Talk to your kids about exactly what you plan to monitor or control and be honest with them to gain their respect.

2. Keep your computer in an area of the house where you can be there to keep an eye out, without hovering over your child's shoulder. Insist computers stay in the kitchen or living room and not in a bedroom or office, where your child can lock themselves away to get online.

3. Don't allow your children to meet random strangers whom they've met online. In the event your child absolutely has to meet someone, make sure a parents or trusted adult accompanies them. Make sure your children know the potential risks of someone not really being who they say they are.

4. Make sure you know the "code" your kids are using online. Acronyms such as "TAW" means teachers are watching and "PA" means parent alert. There are dozens of other ways kids use code to let their online friends know there is an adult around. If you see these frequently, you may want to investigate further what your child is doing.

4. Make sure your child's teacher is monitoring their online usage. Many schools have blocked certain websites but with kids' knowledge of the web, they can find other ways to get into trouble. With computers in almost every classroom these days, teachers should constantly monitor their students' use. If a student is clicking out of a window when you walk by or a group has gathered around one computer screen, chances are, your students are not doing what they should be.

5. Let your child know that they do not have to feel uncomfortable having a conversation online, just as in real life. Whether it's a friend or stranger they're talking to, make sure they know that feeling scared, trapped, threatened, or offended is not OK and it is OK to end that conversation. Talk to them about how they can end the conversation promptly and let them know they can talk to you about how they feel.

6. If you do set up a Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or other social networking website, make sure your child is taking advantage of the privacy settings. Make sure your kids are only adding friends who aren't safe to talk to and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

7. Make your children aware of malicious information, such as spam or virus threats. Help them understand what it means and what they should and shouldn't open or click on.

8. Google your children's names on a regular basis. Again, you don't want your child to feel like you are spying on them, but you can do this to show them just how easy it is for ANYONE to find out anything about them. If your child has a blog, a social networking site you are not aware of, or have posted any information about themselves online, it will most likely come up in a search.

9. Again, communication is key. Make sure your kids know that not everything they see online is legitimate and talk to them about incidents in the news, so they know the risks.



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Friday, 23 April 2010

Intel Profits Up this Quarter

Intel Profits Up this Quarter

In this day and time, we're so used to seeing companies talk about how much money they aren't making and employees they aren't hiring, but for Intel, that doesn't appear to be the case. The world's largest computer chip maker announced last week that it has nearly quadrupled its quarterly net profit and has intentions to hire between 1,000 and 2,000 new employees in 2,010.

In a conference call with analysts, Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini said, "The industry has nearly fully recovered." He also accredits the increase in revenue to a higher demand for PC products and the fact that "the average fleet of notebooks is four years old, the average fleet of desktops is five years old." According to Otellini, "it makes business sense" to get new inventory now.

The comapany's profit for the first quarter (which ended on March 27) was about 2.4 billion dollars, up from this time, last year's 647 million dollars. Revenue rose 44% to 10.3 billion dollars. Wall Street had predicted 9.8 billion dollars, while the company itself had predicted 9.3 billion dollars.

Otellini also said in a statement, "looking forward, we're optimistic about our business as Intel products are designed into a variety of new and exciting segments."

The company has predicted 9.8 to 10.6 billion dollars for the second quarter, while Wall Street analysts have precited 9.69 billion.

Intel has already hired 100 employees this year. The company is based is Santa Monica and employs nearly 80,000 people (about 3,000 less than last year.



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Sunday, 11 April 2010

Cisco's New Simple Home Routers

Cisco's New Simple Home Routers If you're looking for a simpler way to customize or control your wireless network, Cisco has announced its new Linksys E-series routers that will do just that. Also, the company's new Valet and Valet Plus, which are designed like the company's Flip Video products, will serve its core consumer base and make wireless network set-up easier than ever. According to IDC, only 1/3 of homes in the United States is set up for wireless internet use and Cisco believes these products will increase that number.

"Consumers have felt powerless and frustrated with the entire process of home wireless, but with Valet we are tearing down the walls and opening it up to everyone. The market for wireless-enabled products is exploding and now mainstream users will be able to take full advantage of all the new opportunities," said Johnathan Kaplan, the Systems Senior Vice President at Cisco.

Valet will ship with he company's Cisco Connect software and getting your home network up and running will only require three steps. All of your information is retained by a USB-enabled setup key that will ship along with it. This will allow you to add computing devices to the network by inserting the key and letting the software do the rest. You can also set parental controls, allowing your children to only be online during certain periods of the day for certain amounts of time, and provide internet access for guests with a special guest network.

Valet will set you back $99.99 and is great for smaller homes with primary wireless devices. Valet plus is better for midsized to larger homes with a mix of wireless and wired devices. It will cost you around $149.99. You can purchase both products from Linksys.com, Amazon.com, and Staples.

The new Linksys E-Series is designed for a more sophisticated user. Once you've set-up and configured your home network, you can add multiple internet-capable devices or set parental controls for each device. The products also allow for more complicated and advanced actions through the router's default IP address. The Linksy E-Series also ships along with Cisco Connect software, which allows you to give visitors password-protected internet access on a guest network, and it will assign a WPA security passkey and SSID automatically. While Valet comes with a USB set-up key, this one comes with CD.

The entry level Linksys E1000 will cost about $79.99 and will supposedly connect at speeds of 300 Mpbs. The middle-range model, the Linksys E2100L, and the high-end model, the Linksys E3000, will use 802.11n and can connect computers, gaming consoles, internet-enabled HDTVs, and Blu-ray players. They will cost $119.99 and $179.99, respectively. All three of the products feature four gigabit Ethernet ports.


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Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Make Your Computer Last Longer

Make Your Computer Last Longer
The average computer lasts anywhere from two-five years. Eventually, your computer will tear up beyond repair or become so out-of-date that you can no longer use the latest software or accessories along with it, and you'll have to begin the dreaded, inevitable search for a replacement. Buying a new computer is a hassle if you don't know exactly what you're looking for and you aren't familiar with what's current. And of course, with today's economy and job market, you're probably cutting corners whenever possible. New computers can be expensive. Here are a few tips on how you can make your current computer last longer.

If your computer is older and it's running well, there's no need to get rid of it just yet. If you're using it for simple tasks such as word processing, surfing the internet, or manging pictures, age shouldn't be much of a factor. Routine maintenance will keep your computer running smoothly, save you money, and maybe even extend the life of your PC.

The temperature can have a big impact on your computer and cause a lot of damage. Computers generate a lot of heat and at one time had to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. You don't need to keep your living room or home office at a set temperature, but you do want to keep your PC from overheating. Make sure it's not left in direct sun too long and make sure it's properly ventilated.

You'll also want to keep your computer clean. Extra dust on or around your PC can trap heat and making your cooling fan work even harder. This can lead to lots of wear and tear, and eventually to your fan giving out all together. Be careful where you place the computer. Putting the machine on the floor can lead to lots of dirt and dust build-up. Also avoid any rooms with heavy dust build-up. Of course, no matter how careful you are, your computer is going to accumulate some dust, so you might want to blow it out with compressed air every so often.

Laptops are becoming extremely popular and generally don't last as long as desktops. You may leave your laptop plugged in all the time, but leaving it plugged in is bad for your battery. Apple even recommends users don't keep their laptops constantly plugged in and use the battery at times. A typical battery lasts 300-500 charge cycles, but if you find your battery struggling to stay charged, replacing it is a good idea and an inexpensive way to prevent yourself from having to buy a whole new computer.

Restarting your computer is another way to keep things flowing. Most people reboot when they hit trouble, hoping for a fresh start when the computer comes back on and this is actually a good idea. However, many people also leave their computer running 24/7. There's no set time as to how often you should reboot, but rebooting can give your computer a fresh start, speed things up, and serves as a small refresher to your PC.



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Friday, 19 March 2010

Apple to Prepare 12-Core Mac Pros and 27-inch LED Cinema Displays

Apple Dodeca-core Mac ProApple is hard at work putting the "icing on the cake" for a pair of new products that Apple says are targeted at their professional customers. The two devices in question are a larger version of Apple's LED Cinema Display as well as a major upgrade to the Mac Pro workstations according to AppleInsider.

The first product on the list is Apple's Cupertino-based second LED-backlit Cinema Display. The new version will upgrade the previous 24-inch model to a 27-inch model. The 27-inch model has been rumored to have been sitting in the labs at Apple waiting for the displays to arrive. The new model will have a 27-inch diagonal frame which will support a 2560x1440 native resolution.

Since the 27-inch iMacs were so successful, Apple now believes that they can market the displays at a much more affordable price. Apple has also said that they fixed the problems that plagued the same size panels ultimately slowing the momentum of the larger iMac offerings back when they released in October 2009.

But the increased monitors are not the only thing Apple is coming up with. The company is also producing their boldest update to the Mac Pro they have ever done. Details about the update are still kind of scarce but anybody familiar with the matter were very clear in stating that Mac maker's plans call for a dodeca-core model which supports a pair of Intel's latest Westmere-bashed hexacore chips totaling out at 12 cores.

Another rumor floating around is that Apple will more than likely stay with its existing Xeon strategy by putting in a pair of not-so-cheap Xeon 5600 Series "Gulftown" chips into a dodeca-core Mac Pro. Apple will also be offering a single processor model with only 6 cores with a price similar to the $2,500 quad-core model.

Both the 27-inch monitor and the 5600 Series should be available by June with the 5600 Series coming in 2.66, 2.8, 2.93 and 3.33GHz configurations with a price ranging anywhere from $996 to $1663 in lots of 1000. The new 32 nanometer chips have 12MB of L3 cache as well as 6 cores with 12 threads for each CPU.

Whichever rout you go, either the single or the double Xeon model, be prepared to shell out a nice chunk of change. However, by doing so you will definitely be rewarded in the end. No official release date has been set but we should see these products sometime this June.


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